


Warmth and Winter

by a123



Category: Victoria (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fantasy AU, I'm Sorry, unfortunate and highly unintentional Frozen similarities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-04 22:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14603085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a123/pseuds/a123
Summary: "No one is quite sure where it came from, but Victoria was born with a special gift."Fantasy AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by this lovely AU moodboard!!
> 
> http://ladydisdainblog.tumblr.com/post/154203802495/vicbourne-au-king-queen-when-victoria-wants-to

No one is quite sure where it came from, but Victoria was born with a special gift.

She had the gift to control nature.

She could make flowers bloom in her footsteps, make the sun shine a little brighter with the blink of her eye, and make even the littlest of seeds grow into the juiciest apple.

Victoria was endlessly fascinated with her talent. Her mother was not.

“The people won’t understand you, and you’ll never be a successful ruler if they see who you really are,” her mother would say as she brushed her hair.

Victoria could never see where her mother was coming from. Could anyone else do what she could do? Why hide something this precious?

* * *

 As she grew up, Victoria began to understand her perspective a little. She was caught whispering to a wilted flower as it perked up and regained color by one of her maids, and she will never forget the look of horror that was on the poor girl’s face. It was then she decided to hide her abilities, lest she be found out.

When news of her Uncle’s death had to come to her, Victoria remembered this moment in the courtyard. She knew she had to be extremely careful with her powers, but knew that with delicate management, she could use them to help her rule. With the crown balanced on her head, she held her head up high and her power close to her chest, determined not to let either one get away from her.

The first couple of years of her reign were very prosperous. From her study and through much concentration, she was able to influence the growth of the crops. She helped the sun shine a little brighter down on the fields to help increase the yield. Farmers saw larger and larger harvests every year, and there was even enough money to go around that the number of beggars on the street went down.

Until suddenly, it all stopped.

The next few seasons hit Victoria and her people hard. Crops dried out in the summer and the winters were harsher than ever. It only seemed to get worse and worse.

Victoria couldn’t understand it. It seemed no matter what she did, no matter how she tried to help, the problem only seemed to get worse, almost like something was actively working against her, and she didn't know what else to do.

* * *

 “You might consider, ma’am, a marriage to the north,” her adviser Emma mentioned to her one day.

“Marriage?” Victoria repeated, surprised at this out-of-the-blue suggestion.

“Yes ma’am. King Melbourne rules a prosperous kingdom to the north, but he lacks sea access. With the way his kingdom is flourishing and the invaluable placement of ours, this union would seem to solve the problems of each kingdom.”

Victoria puzzled over Emma’s proposal. On the one hand, this would be a perfect solution. Her kingdom was struggling, his wanted expansion; it seemed like a logical solution. On the other hand, she would have to be married.

_Married._

Victoria had long ago resigned herself to a life of solitude. She never met anyone she thought could understand and accept her for who she truly was. A small (very small) part of her hoped she would meet someone one day, but as time went on, it seemed futile. However, she knew that she had to put the needs of her people over her own thoughts and doubts, and couldn’t argue with the sound logic of the solution.

“You make a compelling argument, Emma, one that I am forced to accept. I shall go to his kingdom tomorrow and propose this to him myself.”

Emma could not hide the shock that graced her face. “Ma’am, surely this is a job for one of your diplomats to handle –“

“No, Emma,” Victoria cut in. “If I am to marry this man, he had better get used to dealing with me personally. Dispatch someone to alert him of my arrival, and then please make the proper arrangements for me to depart.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Emma said, standing up to leave.

“One more thing before you leave, Emma,” Victoria began, but hesitated before continuing. “What do we know about this King Melbourne?”

Emma shifted, trying to recall facts. “Well, he has been king for some number of years now. His subjects say that he is stern, but fair. Not much is known about his personal life, except that he was married for a while, but his wife died a couple years back. He keeps to himself mostly, and does not make decisions lightly.”

Victoria sat for a moment to take this in. _He sounds like a fair king_ , she thought.

“Ma’am, there is one other thing you should know,” Emma said, interrupting her thoughts.

“Oh? What’s that then?” Victoria asked.

Emma looked uncomfortable. “Rumor has it…well, people are saying…that he does not wish to marry again. In fact, he’s rather firm on that standpoint.”

Victoria blinked. Then she nodded. “Thank you, Emma.” Emma bowed and left her alone.

 _He does not wish to marry again_ , she thought. _I better make one hell of a proposal_.


	2. Chapter 2

The journey to the mountains was not an easy one. The path to reach King Melbourne’s land was long, winding, and uphill. Victoria would not admit it, but she was a little nervous that the carriage would not be able to maneuver the sharp corners. The air seemed to get heavier and heavier. Clouds seemed to come from nowhere and seemed to block out the sunlight.

She didn’t know whether to be relieved or apprehensive when she finally saw the entrance to the kingdom. Huge wooden spikes sprouted from the ground, and there was a large, ironclad gate. It was quite an impressive fortress, perfectly intimidating and suited to keep anyone out.

Which would be just fine, if Victoria wasn’t the one that had to enter it.

The carriage lurched forward and passed through the gate at the flick of the watchman’s head. As they rolled through, she watched as a raven flew overhead, landed on a rooftop, and crowed piercingly. _What have I gotten myself into?_ Victoria thought, swallowing a hard lump in her throat.

She stepped out of the carriage when they reached the steps of King Melbourne’s palace. Where her kingdom was bright and colorful, it seemed like all the color was drained from his land. Even the people seemed to be heavily downtrodden Grey and dreary, with a large fortress to match. She looked up at the impending castle, with its crumbling walls and iron clad spikes, with a heavy dusting of snow along the towers.

“Thank you, but I shall go in alone,” she told her footman. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but met her statement with a short “of course, ma’am,” and said nothing further.

She took a deep breath, set her resolve, and began up the stairs. Snow crunched under her feet, although it was well into April. Victoria tried to make the sun shine a little through the clouds, but was met with the same resistance she felt in her land, but it was more powerful.

She was met by a footman, who bowed low. “Your majesty. May I be the first to welcome you to our fair kingdom. If you come with me, I shall take you to our king.”

She nodded resolutely, and prepared herself for what was about to come. The footman led her to down a long hallway illuminated by torches, until they finally reached a large door. The man opened the door for her and bowed slightly, gesturing for her to enter.

Victoria walked into a large room with a long table in the center. There were metal chandeliers, unlit, hanging from the ceiling. The room was illuminated by a large fire, eliciting popping and crackling noises to fill the room. There, in front of the fire, was the king. 

He was a large figure, draped in a thick black cloak. Despite the warmth from the fire, Victoria shuddered at the chill in the air. She froze in her spot as green eyes turned to meet blue ones.

“Your Majesty,” came the raspy voice from the man before her. A small smile graced his lips as he moved to greet her, reaching out to take her hand and bowing his head. “Welcome to the Northern Highlands.”

“King Melbourne,” she said, extending her hand and felt a slight shiver go down her spine at the contact. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise, ma’am. I must admit, when I got word of your upcoming visit, I was certainly curious as to your intention. All good, I hope,” he finished, with an incline of his head and good natured smirk.

“Oh yes, only good things. I come with an offering that I think you would be wise to accept, given the state of our respective kingdoms.”

“An offering?” he asked.

Victoria took a deep breath. _Best to get this over with_ , she thought resolutely _._ “Your Majesty, King Melbourne of the Northern Highlands. I come here with a proposition for you.”

“Oh?” he said, quirking an eyebrow up. “And what might that be, Queen Victoria of the Southern Valley?”

“Marriage.”

“Marriage,” he repeated, unable to hide his surprised reaction.

“Yes, marriage. Your kingdom has a prosperous economy, but lacks access to the sea for trade. My kingdom in the valley has many ports, but are having low crop yield, which has impacted our own economy negatively. A union between our two lands will prove to be most beneficial to suit our needs,” she concluded.

He blinked once. He blinked twice.

“No.”

“No?” she parroted, puzzled by his immediate rejection.

“Yes. No. If that’s all you came here for, Your Majesty, then your effort was in vain. Please excuse me, but I will take my leave,” he said, pushing back from the table and rising from his chair.

“So, you don’t want to marry me, then?” she said, clarifying his position. She could not hide her disbelief at his immediate refusal. This was the first time she proposed to someone, and while the situation was less than ideal, her pride couldn’t help but be wounded a little. And without a moment’s consideration!

“No, I do not. Thank you.” He replied.

“Why not?” she demanded, losing her patience. “Certainly you can see the strategic value, we’d both benefit from this union, and we both desperately need it.”

“I can see it, I’m just choosing not to partake in it,” he replied calmly, which only infuriated her more.

“Is it me, then? You don’t want to marry me?”

“No, it’s not you, I just –“

“Because you’re not so old, you know.”

“Well you flatter me ma’am, but I-“

“Well then what _is_ it?” she shouted. 

“Your majesty, _please_!” he yelled, fear bursting out of him. At his words, a flurry of ice came shooting out of his raised hands at the walls behind her. She gasped as one of them nicked her arm on their way past her.

He seemed to be just as shocked as she was. She watched him clasp his shaking hands together and take several deep breaths. The room around her grew a little colder as she finally understood the man before her.

 _He’s like me_ , she thought to herself in reverent wonderment.

King Melbourne said nothing about his outburst, just turned back to face the fire crackling in the hearth. Everything made sense now. The solitude, the coldness of his company, the resistance to marriage. He was afraid to hurt her.

All this time, she thought she was alone. All this time, she thought she was the only person who had this strange ability, and she finds someone who is like her. A wave of relief rushes over her because finally, _finally_ , she has someone she could be herself with.

She walks up to him and placed her hand on the small of his back, and didn’t move it when he flinched at the sudden contact.

“I thought you had left, frightened off by my curse, ready to turn the masses against me,” he said quietly.

She stared up at his face, and saw immense sadness.

“How could I?” she whispered.

He brought his hand up to the spot on her arm where his power had hit her, caressing it gently. “I hurt you,” he said, pain cracking through his voice, still not meeting her eyes.

She shook her head, unable to conceal her growing smile. “No, you don’t understand. How _could_ I?”

She lifted her palm up held out a tiny seedling. William looked at her with a question on his lips, but Victoria inclined her head towards her hand, asking him just to be patient. After a moment, a tiny little bud sprouted up and bloomed into a small pink orchid.

William’s gaze snapped up to meet her eyes, gasping softly. His eyes searched her face, desperately seeking answers. “You’re…you’re…”

“Just like you,” she said with a smile.

A moment passed between them. Victoria is not sure who moved first, but suddenly they were both leaning in fast, lips colliding with the other in a frenzy of acceptance and understanding. His lips devoured hers, and she responded in kind.

“I can’t believe you’re real,” Victoria pulled back to murmur against his lips, laughing softly because she was just so darn _happy_. Tears welled up in her eyes and she ran her fingertips up and down his arms, trying to solidify the fact that she is not _alone_.

“I can’t believe you’re real,” he repeated back, bringing his hands to caress her neck, kissing each tear that fell.

They pulled away to look into each other’s eyes, and a beat passed before they brought their lips crashing back together. Victoria threw her arms around his neck, and he lifted her up by her waist. She weaved her fingers in his hair, and he smiled against her lips.

Twin souls mingled and collided, and one was able to relieve the burden of solitude that had plagued the other for far too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehehehehe
> 
> I'm doing a kind of fade to black thing...you can fill in the rest ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Chapter 3

They lay together in William’s bed, a fire casting a warm orange glow in the room, crackling and popping occasionally.

“Did your wife know about your powers?” Victoria asked, tracing circles on his chest.

Melbourne brought his arms around her shoulders and moved to press his cheek on her head. “She knew, but couldn’t always understand it. I’m afraid it was the reason why she strayed from our marriage and sought to find heat elsewhere before she passed. I was just too cold for her, I suppose” he chuckled darkly.

“She should never have done that to you,” Victoria whispered back.

Victoria’s heart ached for him. She always was afraid of bearing her true self to someone and having them reject her, but she couldn’t imagine it actually happening. Trying to find some way to comfort him, she climbed out of the bed and walked over to the table to pour them a glass of wine.

“Brrr,” she said, handing him a glass and climbing back into bed with a smile, but stopped when she saw the look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nobody likes the cold,” he whispered sadly.

Victoria reached her hands up and cradled his face. “Look at me,” she said softly. He brought his gaze to meet hers reluctantly. “People may not like the cold, but we need the cold. Without the cold, we wouldn’t want to come back to what warms us. You cannot have one without the presence of the other. There’s a reason why people long for winter during the hot August days.”

“We balance each other,” he whispered, realization dawning on him.

Victoria nodded. “I think that’s the reason my kingdom is having problems. When the first harvest wasn’t strong enough, I thought it was my fault. I made the summer hotter and pushed the crops further, and that caused them to dry out faster. They didn’t have the opportunity to cool down. They needed to cool down. They needed you.”

William grabbed her hands and kissed them. She took one hand away and placed it on the side of his face, playing with the salt and pepper hairs growing on his temple. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he said, eyes not leaving her face.

“Why were these past few winters harsher than usual? Did something happen to you?”

William turned his face from hers, staring at the edge of the bed.

“William?” she ventured out, removing her hands, afraid she touched a nerve.

“There’s something I haven’t told you yet.” He swallowed hard and took a shaky breath. “I used to have a son, Augustus. He died about three years ago. I found it…difficult to control my emotions, my powers.” He stopped to look at her, desperately seeking understanding. “I had no idea just how far they extended. If I had known the extent to which I was endangering your people, I would never…I wouldn’t have…I just couldn’t…” he stammered, getting caught up in the grief and guilt he felt, and Victoria could feel him growing colder and colder under her touch.

“Hey,” she said, placing her hand in the middle of his chest, trying to reassure him. “It’s okay, you didn’t know. How could you?”

He looked at her with wide, glossy eyes, unconvinced.

Victoria stared at her own hand, and concentrated very hard. She felt all the heat inside her body surge, traveling to her heart, and extend down her arm, past her fingertips, and spread across William’s chest.

He couldn’t help but gasp at the sensation. The heat spread further and further, extending itself so that he was enveloped in her warmth. _Oh_ , he had never experienced such a beautiful and glorious feeling. It made him feel…safe. It’s wonderful, it’s irresistible, it’s overwhelming, it’s devastating, it’s magnificent, it’s… _intoxicating_.

“This is how you make me feel,” she whispered. She was surprised at how deeply she felt for him after knowing him only for a short while, but when she was with him, she felt complete. There was no way she was going to let him go.

He kissed her with such force that all the air left her lungs. Desperate and fierce, his hands were in her hair, on her back, cupping her face, skimming her jaw. She broke the kiss to catch her breath, and he stole two more kisses from her, then kissed her softly. He pulled away and studied every inch of her face.

“You have given me more in one day than any man deserves in a lifetime,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “Will you stay by my side always, and bring warmth into my life?”

Victoria kissed him. “Yes, William. Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Epilogue

They married a week later.

There was no point in delaying it any longer, and neither of them wanted to wait one more second. Not only would this union help their people, but it would remedy their souls.

Time went on. Winter met spring, pain met healing, solitude met trust.

In the spring, she provided the sunlight for the crops to grow, and he provided the cool water for them to drink. She provided a warm breeze in the fields, and he provided the refreshing shade under the trees. In the winter, he provided the cold that colored cheeks, and she provided the reassuring heat from a cup of cocoa. He provided the beauty of the snowflakes, and she provided the secure embrace of a lover’s scarf.

They joined hands, they joined kingdoms and together, they set out to repair what had been broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! Thank you so much for sticking through the end - this is my first multi-chapter fic and I was definitely nervous to post it, but you all have been so kind <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
